I yelled at my puppy yesterday out of frustration and stared her down with an aggressive body language (**** on floor, jumped on chair to chew on jacket, constantly grabbing my towel as I was scrubbing her poo, etc.) and now she seems afraid of me. Looking sadly at me or avoiding eye contact, ignoring simple commands such as Sit and Come, and curled up on the floor or in her crate. It's continued this morning as well.

How can I build her trust back up? Is this going to stay with me and haunt me forever? Or is it possible that she is sick from something she picked up from a neighborhood walk?

Trust, you can rebuild that. You know now you most likely have a pretty sensitive pup, go back to what you were doing that worked, leave emotion out of correcting her when you have to and be aware of how you can intimidate her so easily.

Now if she's lethargic and shows no energy at all, that's something I'd go to the vet for.

How old is she? Was this just a one time occurrence? I would start building the relationship again slowly with lots of treats (best treats, boiled chicken, hot dogs, etc.), gentle petting, and happy voices. Has she shown sensitivity in the past? Some dogs you can push around and yell at them and they let it roll off their backs. Others are more sensitive. Yours is probably on the sensitive side.

Hey Placeshifter, don't take it personal. Everyone has to learn some things. Think more about management, limiting her access to things that she can get into trouble with, and spend your time teaching her what you want. Every thing is an opportunity to shape her into what you want.

Now, I still think that if she's lethargic tomorrow? I'd take her to vet.

There were members who offered you some very good advice w/ house-training in another thread you posted. Was any of the suggestions helpful? Or do you have more questions?

I agree with Steve & Eddie that you have a very soft dog. You have to be very careful not to let emotions interfere w/ training, because it is not the puppy's fault. Leave your emotions at the door and understand that it is not a personal insult.

To avoid your puppy being a nuisance while you are doing something or if you cannot supervise her, you could crate her. Put a favourite indestructible toy or a foraging treat toy to keep her occupied and maintain a positive place for her. Another thing I did w/ my pup was whenever she was out of her crate, she was on a leash when I could not give her 100% supervision. It also set the base for 'Nothing In Life Is Free'. I picked that up from a DVD at Leerburg and was one of the best investments for my dog.

What was the timeline when she did a #2 in your apartment? Was it after a meal? Was it an unhealthy #2 that did not follow after food? I don't know if you dog is sick, but I suspect - like Sunflowers - that your puppy may be traumatized for something she has no understanding for.

Consistency and Fairness are very important. Please follow the advice that Jax, et al offered in the other thread. If you have further questions, please ask because we want this puppy to be set up for success.

How old is she? Was this just a one time occurrence? I would start building the relationship again slowly with lots of treats (best treats, boiled chicken, hot dogs, etc.), gentle petting, and happy voices. Has she shown sensitivity in the past? Some dogs you can push around and yell at them and they let it roll off their backs. Others are more sensitive. Yours is probably on the sensitive side.

Good luck.

Thank you. For the first time ever, she slept through the entire night -- from 11pm until 5am. She actually wouldn't even come out of her crate at 5am for her normal potty break, even when I asked her to COME.

And when I came back into the house, she went right back into her crate and fell asleep.

I think there is nothing wrong with her. She's just upset and depressed from my yelling and aggressive staring last night. The only time she's listening to me now (after being a near perfect puppy) is when I have treats. She is 9 weeks old. I guess she is sensitive but this is the first time she's completely ignored me.

9 weeks old is still a baby. You wouldn't expect a human baby to be potty-trained, right? There is too much expectation on her, leading to stress and anxiety.

She is acting as only a puppy would, just like an obnoxious young toddler (I don't have kids, but trying to match the mental development as closely as possible) who need to learn simple skills before they can have the cognitive ability to grasp boundaries.

I recommend going to Leeburg.com and purchase their puppy DVD (8 weeks to 8 months), their Basic Obedience and Establishing Pack Structure. Also when you feel yourself losing your temper, take 10 seconds to breath and remind yourself this little girl is just a baby and that she needs you to be a fair and just pack leader for her whom she could trust.

I personally would not put weight on how long she will remember this incident but rather focus on working on your management with her and be a fair leader to her so outbursts will not occur again. It is continued angry and frustrated outbursts that will continue the cycle, so it is basically up to the handler.

Thank you. For the first time ever, she slept through the entire night -- from 11pm until 5am. She actually wouldn't even come out of her crate at 5am for her normal potty break, even when I asked her to COME.

And when I came back into the house, she went right back into her crate and fell asleep.

I think there is nothing wrong with her. She's just upset and depressed from my yelling and aggressive staring last night. The only time she's listening to me now (after being a near perfect puppy) is when I have treats. She is 9 weeks old. I guess she is sensitive but this is the first time she's completely ignored me.

How long will she remember this incident and hold it against me?

What kinds of things have you tried when forming a bond? Like other people have stated, she is so little. Remind yourself that potty accidents are not HER fault, they're YOURS. You didn't take her out in time, she potties. They're called accidents for a reason. Not trying to be harsh - It IS frustrating. But the thing is, she needs to know she can trust you. I would try hand feeling her for a few days, cuddling with her, etc. And go from there. Work on teaching her a "signal" for potty time - maybe tap a bell around the door everytime you go out and say "do your thing" or "go potty" WHILE shows doing her business. Treat and repeat for as long as it takes. She will eventually learn that the bell signals outside for bathroom and you will soon have a dog that will potty on command. She's only 9 weeks so can probably only hold her bladder for an hour or two. Take her out more than that.

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